


Guns and knitting needles

by AmbroiseFramboise



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: BAMF Sawada Nana, BAMF Sawada Tsunayoshi, Canon-Typical Violence, Dying Will Flames, Everyone Loves Tsuna, How Do I Tag, Knitting, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sawada Iemitsu Being an Idiot, Training, weaponised knitting needles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-17 08:18:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13655097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmbroiseFramboise/pseuds/AmbroiseFramboise
Summary: Small Tsuna, always shallowed in layers of wool, doesn't look like much. With his fluffy brown hair, and big eyes, you couldn't tell he is the Decimo, Tenth heir to the Vongola, the biggest mafia in Italy. But be careful no to anger him too much. He was trained by the best after all.(Vongola had more than one bosses using unconventional weapons ; the Quatro and his fork, the Simora, 6th boss and his boomerang... Tsuna's knitting needles souldn't be that strange really.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As I am not English, there might (more than probably) be spelling mistakes. I'm sorry for that, but I don't have a beta. So if you find one, don't hesitate to point it to me. 
> 
> The tags will change as I add chapters.
> 
> I welcome kudos, comments and constructive criticism. Thank you for reading ! 
> 
> A-F

Sawada Tsunayoshi, six years old, was cold and he had lost something. It was the fault of his Papa and the Grandpa who came with him. He didn't know what exactly, but he tripped a lot more, the colors hand the world had lost their brightness. He had more trouble understanding things, and the little voice in his head that helped him sometime was quieter, almost silent.

He felt incomplete, broken. 

Because of that, the people at school laughed at him, mocked or pushed him (and made him fall again). They had even given him the nickname "Dame-Tsuna" ! The poor little boy was miserable.

He had started to wear a lot more clothes to ward away the cold, even if it was spring. Woolen scarfs, jumpers, mittens and gloves, all very bright and colorful.  
Again, the others kids found it weird, and in the end he didn't have friends anymore.

Nana could only watch her son with worried eyes as he stumbled and fell all the time. She had linked it easily with her husband visit, and while she loved Iemitsu, she couldn't help but resent him a little for what he and his boss did to their son, whatever it was. But she couldn't do anything.

So she spent more time trying to explain his homework, reading and playing, and bought him some more warm clothes. 

One day, she got an idea. 

"Tsu-kun, I know it's the holidays, but Mama gotta work part-time and can't watch you all day. What do you think about going to my aunty Naomi ? She could even teach you to knit, so you can make your clothes yourself ! She made some of yours when I asked her last month."

"Aunt Naomi ? I've never met her before." answered Tsuna, curious.

"It's because she worked abroad a lot and wasn't in Japan. But now that she is retired, she settled down in another part of Nanimori. I called her not long ago, and she accepted. She can't wait to meet you !" explained Nana, smiling.

"She won't mind I'm No-Good ?" Tsuna's bright eyes seemed on the verge of tears, his voice quavering and hopeful. Nana hurried to go down on her knees, and took him in her arms for a tight hug. 

"Oh baby, no, you are no Dame, don't think like that please. They are wrong, and you'll get better. And don't be afraid, she is pretty serious and maybe she won't smile a lot but I know she is kind and will help you. Even in sports, she was excellent. You just have to be polite and ask. She taught your Mama how to cook you know." she had her head on his, and after some time, she pulled away a bit and winked.

"She must be incredible then !" Tsuna was impressed, her cooking was one of the best. 

She was. 

To tell the truth, one that few aside from Nana’s family knew, Naomi was a retired mercenary, one specialized in infiltration (and seduction back when she was still young and beautiful.) To others, she was the epitome of the “perfect wife”. Cooking, sewing, taking care of people, and looking pretty at events. Yes, she was quite talented, but it was often used to kill her mark, a fact that would surprise a lot of people given her public persona. 

She had offered to teach Nana in her youth, before she met Iemitsu, but the woman refused. She only asked her to learn how to cook (and maybe how to handle knives too.) They were once very close, but when Naomi learned that she wanted to marry someone high in the biggest mafia, she was far from happy. That led to shouting matches, and his identity being violently revealed to the future wife. It didn’t change her decision (and she was already suspecting something. Really, with a skilled mercenary as a teacher, even for as little time as she had, was it surprising that she was way less obvious than she looked ?)

This disagreement explained why they hadn’t seen each other in years, even tough Naomi had moved in some part of the city when she retired and they talked by phone from time to time.

But now, with the state her Tsuna was in, she wished she had kept her aunt’s warning in head when her husband came with some old man. She was ready to push aside her feelings about their last dispute to send Tsuna to her, hoping that she could help him.

When she called her that evening, Nana explained the situation, and listened silently to the mandatory “I told you” that followed. Naomi accepted, happy to meet the little boy, and to be more implicated in his life, something she feared she wouldn’t be able to.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO 

Thus Tsuna went living with his great-aunt (Naomi-baachan) for the holidays. And the following ones. And those after. And for a least part of pretty much every holiday in fact. 

She could be strict, and was scary at the beginning, but he loved her, the scent of her house, the exercises they did every morning, the cooking sewing and knitting lessons, and when she helped him do his homework. He loved when she would put a CD and show him how to dance in the middle of the living room, sometimes still in pajamas and slippers. The waltz first, the easiest movements, even if she was way taller than him.

She told the best stories, of yokais and humans, the old wars, and, after she told him what had been her real job, some of her less bloody and funnier missions. And he, nested in a large multicolor crochet blanket, listened and remembered as best as he could. 

What he liked the most were the knitting, always with the softest wool they could find, as colored as possible. There was still a cold spot in his chest, as if some part of his body was missing, but he was a bit better, as if the love of his family warmed him a little. 

When Naomi’s contacts told her about the clusterfuck that was Vongola’s succession (two sons dead, and one trapped in the ice), she decided it was time to tell him, and to start a more combat oriented education. She took him in her office, one of the room he wasn’t usually allowed in, and said :

“Tsuna-kun, dear, I told you before that your father was in the mafia, yes ?” she was behind her desk, shuffling through some files.

He had been told two years ago in the summer, after the last postcard came, a ridiculous one about oil business in Antarctica and … penguins ? Did he really think they would believe that ?

He nodded. “Why, did something happen ?” 

He didn’t like Iemitsu, a man he never really saw, and who in his eyes was responsible for the tears his mother shed when she though he wasn’t looking, late at night.

“I’m afraid so, another heir died recently, and from what I learned you might be forced to be involved sooner than expected. So I’m going to train you more… physically than before. But don’t worry dear, we’re going to use what I taught you. There’s no way we can make you a brawler good enough to go against mafiosi. No, you need subtlety, even if there is nothing wrong with more muscles I think.” she answered, looking at her great-nephew in the eyes, who were lighter than usual. 

“Like in your stories ? Make them think you are a “weak and shy little thing” and then defeat them when they drop their guard ? And favor unconventional weapon so no-one suspect you, traps and “accidents” and poison ?” asked excitedly the ten-years old boy, his fluffy brown hair bouncing with him. 

“Exactly, I hope you are ready, and that you’ll make me proud. Because what we did before is nothing compared to what we’re gonna do. We have a lot of work to do in order to have you to an acceptable level. You, my boy, still have arms like noodles.” she said, jokingly taking one of his arms in her hands and comparing it to hers. She may be old and proper, but she was fit, with compact muscles that she usually didn’t show in her habituals attires. 

“I will not disappoint you !” Tsuna exclaimed “I swear !”, his eyes lighted in a warm amber color for a second or two, but they quickly came back to his usual brown.

“I know you won’t, dear boy.” she chuckled. 

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO 

To the people who didn’t know him well (pretty much everyone but his mother and aunty), Tsuna was the same Dame-Tsuna as always. He may have ameliorated his grades a bit, and tripped less, but his shy personality and odd taste in clothes singled him out. He also often knitted, which was not a “manly” hobby at all apparently, and he was mocked for that.

Bullies went after him, but he escaped almost all the time and they rarely found him. (Oh how he loved trees, and little high places were he could climb and hide ! He could take them on, but he wanted to keep his persona for a bit longer.) Sometimes, he saw the Disciplinary Committee Demon napping on the roof or patrolling from above. The older boy knew he was there, he threw glances at him from time to time, but since he was neither crowding, breaking rules or doing anything else that would justify a “sanction” (being bitten to death), he left him alone. 

Apparently he reminded Hibari of a … baby animal ? Probably bird. Well he was often perched trees, hairs fluffy and messy like feathers, all small and avoiding “predators”. He wore colorful accessories to protect himself from the cold. It was to the point where he could go on the roof to eat lunch, as long as he didn’t utter a sound. A bit strange, but he wouldn’t complain.

Their… relationship ? Accord ? Changed the day Hibari Kyoya saw him use his knitting needles to fight against an assassin in a black suit, in one of the numerous alley of Nanimori. 

They came from time to time, enemies of his father (whose protection severely lacked), and they tried to kill him and his mother. Thankfully, she never went outside without a pair of her favorite cooking knives since the first one (a close call, way too close) and they were usually surprised enough that a housewife was that skilled for her to win. (Then she called the Hibari, who controlled both police and a yakusa/mafia clan, and disposed of them.)

So when the skylark saw the innocent baby bird sticking two knitting needles in the eyes of the man, while kicking him where it hurts, he was momentarily surprised. He sprinted to the boy, for a fight, face serious and showing no expression. But Tsunayoshi wasn’t acting intimidated. He calmly turned to Hibari, while whipping the blood off his weapons on the clothes of the downed man. Then he gave a warm smile and said :

“Ah Hibari-san, it’s good to have you there, I was just going to call your family.” 

There was no point in denying what the other saw, it would just irritate him more.

“Hn. Bird of prey, explain yourself before I bite you to death.” His eyes had a predatory glint to them, like a cat who found a new mouse to play with. There was no doubts that he would attack immediately after. 

“Why don’t we just make this call and move to some other place ? I will answer but I’d rather not risk being seen.” said Tsuna, tilting his head cutely.

Now, while his answers seemed perfectly calm and composed, he was in fact absolutely panicked inside. It took everything he had to avoid running away. It would only make things worse, and he didn’t want to make a scene at school, and be forced to reveal his abilities to all.

“Where should we go ? It would be better if there was no-one else…” he mused. There wasn’t that many places deserted in Nanimori. “Ah, I know ! Why not that abandoned attraction park ? It would be perfect !”

The skylark’s eyes narrowed but he didn’t bite him to death, so he must have accepted. He started walking away at a quick pace, in direction of Kokuyo Land, Tsuna following, half-running behind. He didn’t have legs as long as the other boy ! 

It was late afternoon and there wasn’t many people in the street. Well, they weren’t taking the big ones so that might explain it. And a lot of those they saw left the area when they caught sight of Hibari, afraid of him. He was very intimidating, and you could almost see the aura of annoyance and strength around him. His walk was graceful as always, prowling like a confident predator in his element. 

Tsuna was frantically reviewing everything he learned, particularly when it came to fighting someone stronger without the possibility of escape (the worst scenario for one trained more like an assassin/infiltrator like him.) He did know how to fight one on one but it was not is specialty, and he never had to do it against someone else than his aunt. Hibari had a totally different style, unusual weapons and would hold nothing back. Tsuna would have to fight with killing intend if he wanted a chance, hoping that his unconventional ways would disorient the older boy.

Finally, they arrived to the abandoned park, the atmosphere oppressive, the long shadows of the broken attractions looming around them. Luckily it had been a sport day, so he had his sport clothes in his bag. It would be better than his uniform… and less a problem if they got torn. He gestured to the side and went changing in an old restaurant. 

As he predicted, he was attacked the moment he got out. Something in the back of his head, his “intuition” warned him so he could dodge. A tonfa flew a hair above his head. He ducked under the arm of his opponent and went to a more open area than the door of a crumbling diner. 

They were now facing each other. To the confusion of Hibari, he had his knitting needles out, poor parody of the twin tonfa held in the other’s hands. They gleamed in the last rays of the sun, long metal needles with a ball at the end. Tsuna also had wool in his pocket, keeping it hidden. 

Hibari scoffed, and charged him at an impressive speed, a tonfa raised to strike his head. But the smaller boy avoided it once again, proving that his instincts were not pure luck. Hibari didn’t stop, launching a flurry of blows at Tsuna, who continued dodging, sidestepping and sometimes reflecting them.

“Stop running and fight me !” growled Hibari.

Tsuna really didn’t want to fight, or be there at all, but he had no choice. He was starting getting tired, and if he slowed he would be hit more, he already took some hits. He had to try to finish the fight before that point. 

So he dropped low and dashed toward the other boy, stepping in his personal space, needle ready to strike. Hibari, surprised, only had the time to redirect it a bit, and was impaled in the left shoulder. Now, the needles weren’t very wide, but the wound was deep, and must have touched something important, because Hibari had some troubles raising his arm again. It was bleeding quite a bit, the red of the blood showing on the white shirt.

The older boy was smirking now, not very bothered. Tsuna, who had pulled back the moment after he struck answered him with a shaky smile of his own.

When Hibari charged, this time, instead of just dodging, he managed to duck under, grab his arm, and throw him away head first. It was a movement perfect for someone like him, not very strong because it used the other strength and momentum against them. He still took a painful strike on the side, making him drop the needle in his hand.

Hibari got up, not even breaking a sweat, when Tsuna was on his last reserves. The winner was quite obvious, but giving up was not an option. 

He decided to launch a last attack, needle ready, with a high kick followed by a punch, trying to stab Hibari in the side. He failed, quite badly. None of his attacks connected and he took an heavy blow in the stomach, got his legs kicked under him with another blow. It was unnecessary, and the pain made him tear up a little. Finally, he was whacked on the head, surprisingly more gently than Hibari tended to hit. 

He clutched his head, already feeling it swell. His ribs were bruised, his legs too. Tomorrow would be painful, and he had no idea how to explain why to his mother. Well, no, he would tell her, but she would not be pleased. She hated when he got hurt. Anyway, it wasn’t as if he could have avoided the fight. What Hibari wanted he got.

“Not that bad for a little bird. But you need to sharpen your claws more or you’ll get eaten.” said Hibari, who for once stayed after winning. He was interested in the smaller boy, wanted to see how far he’d grow. And for that, he would spar with him more. “We’ll do this again next week. If you don’t come I’ll bite you to death.” And with those words he left a confused Tsuna on the ground.

“Wait no !” he exclaimed.

But the older boy was too far, and he had no choice anyway. If he tried to avoid Hibari, he would be bitten to death, and then forced to fight again. He took his head in his hands and said mournfully “How will I even explain it to Mom ? Or Aunty ?” He sighed. “Be positive Tsuna, be strong. It’ll help me improve my combat right ? Right ? Oh gods why me !”

With those words he got up, and dusted his clothes. Then he picked up the needles he dropped earlier and wiped them. One was bloody after being in the shoulder of the infamous Demon of Nanimori. He didn’t want to stain the next thing he knitted. 

His bag in hand, he went home in the growing shadows of dusk, thinking of the future conversations with his mother, and dreading his next encounter with the skylark. He would have to ask for more lessons with his aunt if he wanted to keep up and survive.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The consequences of fighting Hibari, and a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a lot of action yet. It should better in the next chapter.
> 
> As for the timeline, it's two years before canon ; Hibari is 14, in his first year at Nanimori Middle, and Tsuna is 11 (he is born in October, and the school year starts in april.)
> 
> About relationships : I'm unsure of what they'll be, but right now, the characters are too young. It won't be the focus anyway.
> 
> (I'm having a hard time understanding the school system, it's different in France, so if there are errors, well, I did my best.)
> 
> A-F

He went home without problems, and got scolded by his mom, but after some explaining she was understanding. A new routine was soon born ; he would fight (get his ass handed to him) with Hibari every Saturday afternoon in Kokuyo lands. 

Somehow, he had also became a member of the Disciplinary Committee, even after the skylark went to Nanimori Middle. He was given the uniform (but he rarely wore it) and Kusakabe tried to style his hair in the “regent” (pompadour) hairstyle but it utterly failed and he gave up quickly. 

Every so often, he would follow the skylark and his right hand man in his patrols, always making sure no one learned of his abilities to fight. He was certain most of the committee thought he had been kidnapped by Hibari for some reason. (Some said it was to be a secretary, others because he was cute. They weren’t totally wrong.) He didn’t fight against delinquents, yakusa or any other people Hibari wanted to bite to death, but he could call for an ambulance if needed, or give First Aid (one of the first things he learned with his aunt.) 

To those deemed worthy of being in the Committee, he gave the uniform and a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, plus the “So you were forcefully enrolled in the Committee ?” Guide, a must to survive. It lead to a part of the members thinking he was Hibari’s left-hand or something, and they made sure to stay extra-respectful just in case he was a monster too, but hidden under the guise of a cute little boy. (They weren’t wrong for that either.) 

Anyway, his cuteness and kind personality, added with the fact that he seemed unafraid of the skylark, gave him an hidden fan-club inside of the Committee. They never came too close because he was almost always near their boss, but they left on his desk pastries and sweets when they learned he liked them. They took photos from afar, and seeing he liked crafts like knitting and sewing, they offered him the materials they found. The big smiles they got in return was more than worth it. 

Sometimes, if he saw that one of their buttons had fallen, he would show them how to sew it back (an essential skill to have), or how to patch the holes and tears in their clothes. That he knew how to remove blood stains perfectly was a little more concerning, but, well… he was close to Hibari. Surely it was the only reason ? (Wrong)

“He is an angel, I tell you, an angel !” said one. 

“Can you imagine him with wings and a halo ? We’d be blessed !” answered the other, daydreaming. 

“Maybe he came on earth to watch our boss, he’s a demon !” 

“But wait, I have better, imagine him in a toga !” At this, they started drooling a bit.

A cough was heard behind them, and they turned. It was Kusakabe, and for once he was frowning. It was mildly terrifying. 

The two were later found doing the worst tasks, heavily bruised. The message was clear. Kusakabe was protective of the “little bird” that captured his boss’ attention. (He was a mother-hen, yes, but it wasn’t a surprise, he was already taking care of Hibari, who was an handful.) 

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO 

When Tsuna was in the school (filing paperwork and doing homework, the horror !) he would sometime see a strangely familiar energetic white haired boy. The one that regularly ran in the neighborhood at top speed, in the morning, while shouting “EXTREME !” for some reason. 

Tanned skin, band-aids everywhere, in a boxing outfit, and with a big smile that shined like the sun. He soon learned his name, Sasagawa Ryohei when the boy went to his school to march home his little sister, Kyoko, the idol of the class. He was curious. Where did the other find so much energy ? And how was is voice intact, with so much shouting ? He swore he could sometimes see a yellow aura around him when he ran. 

When he asked, Kusakabe told him that he was in his and Hibari’s class, and that the skylark was very annoyed by this fact. Ryohei personality clashed with Hibari’s, but he rarely broke the rules (apart from his shouting). No the problem came in the form of the challenges to a boxing match regularly launched by the sunny boy. Who was persuaded that Kusakabe was Hibari and vice-versa. 

He was always refused but they never corrected his mistake. 

It was predictable that they properly met quickly. The white haired boy accosted them after his boxing practice and when they came back from a patrol. 

“EXTREME !” bellowed Ryohei, rushing to them. He stopped in front of them, and saw Tsuna. His face light up and he said : 

“Hello there fluffy boy ! You must be extremely strong to stay with Hibari-kun ! I’m Sasagawa Ryohei, but you can call me Big Brother !” with those words he reached Tsuna’s head and tousled his hair, fast at first but he then slowed down, more petting than anything. 

“H-Hello, my name is Sawada Tsunayoshi, but you can call me Tsuna.” stuttered Tsuna, a bit intimidated . He relaxed gradually. He wasn’t petted like that often, but it was fairly nice. He could feel his eyes close slowly. 

Of course Hibari blew up. 

“Herbivore” he growled, “you will remove your filthy paw off my bird !” He charged. He could be scarily possessive of what he saw as his. Like the his territory, the school (and the city), or the Committee. And Tsuna, whom he had just been curious at first, but who was now an integral part of his pack. Not that he’ll admit it aloud. 

Ryohei ducked, laughing, but his smile had a bit of an edge, showed a bit too many teeth. “Silly Kusakabe, you can’t own a person. That’s not extreme at all !” 

“I am Hibari Kyoya you fool !” said the skylark, swinging his tonfa toward the infuriating boxer. 

On the bright side, Ryohei got his fight with Hibari, as he wished. On the dark side, he lost, and got beaten up. But he wasn’t demoralized ! He even had a cute little bro patching him up. He was always quick to heal anyway. Hibari had left as soon as Ryohei had bit the dust, and had told “his” bird to go home for the day, but to come back tomorrow. 

“You are in my sister’s class, right ? I extremely saw you once or twice I think !” said the boxer, grinning widely. “Where do you live ? I’ll extremely walk you home safe !” 

Tsuna answered him, and was pleased to learn that they lived pretty close. He didn’t know the older boy very well, they had just met, but he liked his obvious honesty and energetic demeanor, so positive. It was like a perpetual ray of sunshine, never hidden by the clouds. 

They got up, Ryohei helping Tsuna to his feet by taking his hand, a hand he didn’t release. Tsuna blushed, embarrassed, and tried to shook him off, but the other had a strong grip and was obvious to the possible implications of the gesture. He was walking in front of the younger boy, leading him in the direction of their residences. It was starting to get late, and Tsuna couldn’t wait to be home. He was hungry and tired, tough at least he didn’t have to do his homework, he had completed it earlier, sometimes asking help to Kusakabe. Hibari’s right hand looked like a delinquent and was strong, but he was also very intelligent. Before Tsuna came and gave a hand, he was the one to organize nearly everything in the Committee. While keeping his grades up. And taking care of Hibari, even outside of school. (No wonder some people saw him as a sort of monster too, even if he was kinder than Hibari.) 

“So, I heard you extremely knit ! Do you cook too ? My extremely cute little sister is learning how to, and said you were the best at home economics in your class.” asked Ryohei. His voice was loud, always on the verge of shouting. He had released his hand, but put his arm around Tsuna’s shoulder (and was touching his hair again.) 

“She did ?” he was surprised, she never seemed to pay attention to him. “I can cook, yes. And clean, and sew, and knit, and dance, and more. Do you think it’s weird ?” he answered, tilting his head up defiantly (or trying to be, it mostly looked cute). 

“Not at all ! I think you are extremely dedicated to what you like, and that’s EXTREME. Even if you sound like the perfect wife.” The shouting was hurting his ears a bit, but he was relieved. It wasn’t exactly something you could ask Hibari. Even if he knew he wouldn’t change just because the others saw his hobbies in a negative light, because it wasn’t traditionally masculine. But it felt good to be told this by someone else than his immediate family. 

(He wasn’t thinking about the wife comment. Not at all. Or blushing furiously. It’s just your imagination.) 

He got home safe, if a bit red around the ears. 

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO 

Now, it might be important to clear some things about Tsunayoshi, on the subject of appearances and femininity. 

He was a boy. Even if he was cute, even if he could do “feminine” things and enjoyed them. 

But that doesn’t mean that he couldn’t act like it in specifics situations. It was an important lesson his aunt (and his mother too) taught him. He wasn’t strong, or manly, but he had cute features, something a lot if people were weak against. So he had no shame using it to his advantage. 

So he learned how and when to lilt his head on the side, how to dress better while keeping warm, and a lot of little gestures. And he practiced, until it looked natural, until it was a reflex, until it was subconscious. He may have been cute even before doing it unconsciously, but he learned how to be The Cutest. (It worked). With some work it could even turn some of his flaws in something better (not suppress them yet though). His clumsiness, for one, could be seen as “endearing”, as long as he didn’t fall gracelessly on his face. You could go far with some tears and a little “sorry”.

Why ? Because some people hesitated before attacking a cute kid, it made him look weak and they underestimated him. It made people want to protect him (the last part may have worked a little too well). 

For the same reasons, he learned to crossdress. Girls were even more underestimated and overlooked. (He shuddered when he thought of that. Those with bias like that had clearly never met his aunt or his mother. Or they’d be dead.) He personally didn’t care if it was girl or boys clothes, as long as they were warm. He just felt uncomfortable if the skirt or dress was too short. But apparently it wasn’t unusual even amongst girls so it wasn’t that much of a problem. 

Once in girl clothes, you could hardly tell he was a boy. Of course, he couldn’t just wear anything, some shapes were better because his flat chest didn’t look weird. Not that it was a problem yet at his age, but it was good to know for later. 

He took pride in his training, because he, for once, was good at it. So the “perfect wife” comment ? He linked it with his aunt, and felt a bit closer to his goal, to be as strong and as good as her. His hard work was recognized by someone else than his family, and it made him so very proud ! 

It still didn’t make him a girl. And those that tried to treat him as such (outside of when it was voluntary) would learn it quickly. It was taking advantages of the stereotypes towards girls and women (or “weak”, “feminine looking boys”) the society had. It also meant it would be harder for him to fall for it if there was someone else using them.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

After that first encounter, he began seeing Ryohei more often, though mostly in passing. On the way to school, he ran into him doing his jogging, and they waved at each other. At the end of the school day, at the gates, the days he didn’t have boxing club a took Kyoko home. And at the Middle School, when Tsuna was with Hibari. 

Most of the time, they had things to do or places to go, and they couldn’t really talk. It made Tsuna a bit sad, because when you passed the loudness, Ryohei was an interesting person. Oh sure, he wasn’t exactly book smart, but when it came to things that interested him ? He had more depth. He had a good understanding of the human body and how it worked as an athlete, and used it to make training and dietetics regiments for his peers. He was the one who founded the boxing club (it didn’t exist before), and was the Captain. 

He may have joked about it the first time they met, but he had been able to see that Tsuna was fitter than most, and that he moved with a purpose and few wasted movements. Even with the additional layers he wore. 

He was passionate about things he liked (perhaps a bit extreme, but he was still young), and protective of those he saw as family (and Tsuna was steadily becoming part of that group). It was such a shame people had a hard time dealing with his “extremeness”, because he didn’t have many friends (bar the members of his club, and recently Tsuna). He respected Hibari, but saw him as a rival, since he was the strongest of the school. Kusakabe too, to a lesser extent (and he hid it well, but he was a bit embarrassed with the whole mistaken identity thing.) 

One day, before the start of their respective activities, Ryohei gave him a bottle, full of a strange… pinkish mixture.

“Ry.. Big bro, what is this ?” asked Tsuna, looking wearily at the drink. 

It couldn’t be poison, right ? Ryohei-sempai wouldn’t do that, right ? 

“It’s a shake ! Full of vitamins ! To extremely restore your energy ! You always seem tired after coming here those days and it should be better than coffee. You don’t have any allergies, do you ?” answered the older boy, making big gesture as he often did when he spoke (where did he find all this energy ? It was bordering on inhuman.)

“No, I don’t think so.” He opened the lid and tried to determine the ingredients with the smell. He wasn’t particularly successful. “So, what’s in it ?”

“Eh, mostly fruits, banana, strawberry and kiwi, honey, and apple juice. It’s sweet, but healthier than the snacks you eat. Tell me if you like it ! I’ll make you more shakes, or give you the recipes if you want them.” explained Ryohei, “I’m looking into them, and I make one for myself everyday, so it’s no trouble !”

Appeased that there wasn’t anything weird, like raw eggs or cucumber in it, Tsuna took a careful sip. It was quickly followed by a bigger one. It was indeed sweet, and very tasty. Thicker than his usual drinks, with some seeds from the strawberry and kiwi, but good. “I like it very much, thank you Big bro !” he said, beaming to the white haired boy. He didn’t argue about it, because he knew it would be useless. Ryohei could be stubborn as a mule when he wanted to. 

They parted after that, to avoid being late. There would be a lot of photos by the minions -members of the Committee- this day, because it took at least an hour for Tsuna to notice he had a pink mustache above his lips. 

From that moment, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Tsuna drinking a shake. The colors varied with the fruits they contained, and one day, someone got the excellent idea to gift him (leave on the desk) a plastic straw, the reusable funny ones, with loops and neon pink. Tsuna liked it, and used it regularly. 

The days passed, and grew longer and hotter. Soon, it was the summer holidays and school closed. The week before, he had been asked by his friends what he would do during them, and if they could see each other often. Well, more like Ryohei and Kusakabe (and Kyoko) asked, and Hibari demanded that the spars continue, and some patrols. 

Before, he would have gone to his aunt for the entirety of their break. Now that he had friends, she had allowed two weeks, one at the beginning and one at the end free. Amused by the behaviour of Hibari, and because she thought it was a great training for her nephew, the weekly spars would continue as usual, but she’d be there for once. She seemed very interested by the demeanor of the young skylark (and implied that she knew and had worked with people of that family in the past). 

The training regiment would be harder, and the holidays were going to be… eventful.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first week of holidays ! Surprisingly... calm. How rare ! They should enjoy it, it probably won't happen often.

The summer holidays came with a heat wave, as it often did in Japan. The air was heavy, and could be very humid too. People were accustomed but it could be hard to gather the will to do anything during midday, when the sun was at his highest. With some luck, there would be some wind, but it didn’t always happen. 

That’s why physical activities were better done early, when the sun had barely risen, or at the end of the day, when it set. At fact pretty much everyone that did sports knew (even if all didn’t care about it, choosing to play under the harsh rays and getting tanned and burned). Tsuna did know it, but he had never needed to practice outside like that, his aunt favoring he house or dojos for his training. 

This his why, the very first day, he fell out of bed, tangled in the sheets, at the sound of loud shouting.

“ LITTLE BRO ! Time to Extremely Wake Up !” greeted him Ryohei voice, chasing the sleep he desperately craved. True, they had said they would see each other before he went to his aunt, be he hadn’t thought the other would come at five in the morning ! 

He went down the stairs, almost falling, while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. There was no hope of going back to bed. Not with Ryohei there. Clad in his too big T-shirt and shorts decorated with boxes of milk and little cows (chosen by his mother) he got in the kitchen and greeted his mom. She was cooking breakfast, sweet omelet by the smell, and chatting with his friend. 

“Good morning dear, did you sleep well ?” she asked, and he nodded. Apart from the loud wake up call and the fall, his night had been good. No problems with falling asleep, the heat not to oppressive but high enough to warm his (metaphorically, not like a cadaver) cold insides like a blanket. There was a reason he liked summer the best, because it took a lot to get him too hot, and it wasn’t necessary for him to wear a lot of clothes unlike the rest of the year.

“Hello Mom, hello big brother, I did thank you.” he yawned, grabbing a plate, a glass of juice and sitting at the table. 

“ So, boys, what are you going to do today ? I’m happy to see you made such a nice friend Tsuna, and to be able to meet him. You should invite the other one too, Hibari-san I think, next time.” said Nana with a smile. Ryohei wasn’t surprised to find it was as sweet as Tsuna’s, they obviously had a lot in common, physically and personality-wise. She kinda reminded him of Kyoko too.

“We are going for an extreme jogging first ! Then, maybe we could go to the pool ! I’ll ask Kyoko if she wants to join us, I know she bough a new swimsuit recently. After that I don’t know. We’ll see and extremely improvise.” answered the white haired boy, quite excited. 

“What a good idea ! Should I make you boys a lunch ? I can do it while Tsuna prepares himself.”she exclaimed, clapping her hands. “Do you have any preferences Ryohei-kun ? Any allergies ?” 

Tsuna who had finished eating left, and, as they chatted, showered and dressed himself. He opted for loose brown cargo pants and a blue t-shirt, and tied a light vest around his waist in case he needed it. Pocketing his phone (an old thing he got for in case of emergencies that could only call, text and play music) and some money, he also took a bag with things for the pool, and a water bottle. His needles were inside too, in a thin flat fabric case.

Back in the kitchen, he watched his mother and his friend talking about the nutritional value of diverse food, and packed their lunch. Way more awake, he found himself anticipating the day. He may not like jogging a lot, but it would probably be much better with someone like Ryohei at his side, who was fun, passionate and would motivate him to push himself.

“Do you have a specific itinerary Big Bro ?” he asked as they stepped out of the door.

“Of course I do ! During schooldays I have to take the short one so I’m not late, but now we can follow the long one ! It’s extremely great, you’ll see ; first we go around the neighborhood, then to the park, and after that a bit of the forest until we get to the shrine. From there we can go to the pool ! Usually I come back home, but today we’ll see.” answered the boxer.

So they did. It wasn’t easy for Tsuna, far from it. The itinerary was a lot longer than he thought, under a blue sky without clouds and very little shade. And the shrine was on the side of a small mountain covered in a forest, on the top of a seemly endless flight of stairs. He had honestly believed that Ryohei would have to carry him for the end, but he persevered and did it. (Well, it wasn’t a jogging anymore, more like a very tired walk) The pride of being able to reach the top almost made it worth it. 

(Almost. He wasn’t the most athletic person. Quick bursts of speed, for a short time ? No problems. But apparently he would have to work on his stamina and resilience. Great.)

It was later than they thought and they were hungry so they ate their picnic there, under the shadows of the tall trees. His mother had packed onigiris, boiled eggs, a big tomato each with salt and little octopus sausages. There was a thermos of cold homemade mint tea, and Ryohei had brought two of his infamous shakes, peach flavored this time. It wasn’t anything complex, but they ate with gusto, the simple meal refreshing and filling. 

After that (and a quick prayer to the local mountain god), they went down the stairs and started to make their way toward the city. It was a bit too hot to stay under the sun for too long, so Tsuna followed Ryohei to the older boy’s home. Kyoko would be here, with her best friend Hana. They would stay for a hour or two, until the worst of the heat passed, and then go to the pool as planned. 

Once in front of the door, Tsuna felt pretty nervous, but he couldn’t help it. Not only this would be the first time he went to a friend home (that he could remember, he may have done it once or twice before the Cold), but he didn’t really know the girls.

Yes, they were in his class, but while kind, Kyoko was a bit distant to those she wasn’t friend with, and Hana tended to insult boys at every occasion and was pretty aggressive. Starting to make friend didn’t make him suddenly socially apt ! (Particularly not when said friends were people like Hibari, who was worse than him, Ryohei, whose behavior wasn’t exactly normal to standard people and kinda the Committee, but they were mostly adoring him from afar, and acted like delinquents.)

He could act confident, charming, but that felt like lying, and he didn’t want to lie to friends. Even if it made him more awkward.

Ryohei opened the door, and pulling him by the arm, he bellowed :

“I’m Extremely home Little Sis, Little Sis’s best friend ! And Little Bro is too !”

“Welcome home big brother !” Kyoko shouted from the top of the staircase. She descended to greet him and his guest properly. Her gaze fell on the one half hidden behind her brother’s bulk. 

She technically knew that the “Little bro” he often talked about was Sawada-kun, the clumsy boy in her class, but, somehow, seeing him there in her home made it more real. She didn’t know him well and they had only talked a dozen times for various purposes such as homework before. Well, he never talked to anyone in class, for obvious reasons : almost everyone in class bar a few belittled him. Because he was shy, because he fell often, because of his strange sense of fashion (multicolored wool), of his hobbies… She may be against it, but on the other hand she never actively did anything to stop it. Right now, watching as he seemed to shrink to hide, she felt regrets. 

Well, she would just have to change he way of acting and become his friend then ! 

Tsuna, him, observed warily the girl, and after a few second of being subjected to a warm sincere smile, straighted up. He had been startled when she arrived, but she was obviously welcoming so he relaxed. 

“Hello Sawada-kun ! How are you ?” she started, to break the ice. 

“Hello, Sasagawa-san, I’m tired but fine, thank you. You can call me Tsuna, I prefer it.” he answered, smiling a little.

“You can call me Kyoko then ! Ryohei call you little brother so you are part of the family. We have some leftover cake from lunch if you’re still hungry.” 

“Not right now, but maybe later, thank you.” He looked down at himself, a bit ashamed of his sweaty appearance. “I think I should go change, maybe take a shower if it’s not too much trouble.” 

He looked at Ryohei, who nodded and guided him to the bathroom, before leaving him to wash himself in peace. He could often hear loud but muffled and incomprehensible shouts, mostly from Ryohei, but also from a feminine voice he assumed was Kurokawa Hana’s. She never hesitated to make her opinions known.

When done, he joined them in Kyoko’s room. Ryohei was talking animately (from his gestures Tsuna guessed he was narrating a fight. Or maybe something else entirely, he could add energetic movements to the most boring story like it was an evidence.) Ryohei soon left, he was quite dirty too. So Tsuna found himself facing the two girls, who were watching him intensely. 

(The reason ? His wet hair hanged down straight, framing his face. They didn’t make strange fluffy spike as usual, and it changed his looks a lot. The strands were not all even and were longer than they though. Thick and slightly wavy, a rich brown. It was cute. Very Cute.)

“So, tell me monkey, how did you meet the loud idiot ? Did he challenge you to a fight in the street ? Or did he just see you and decided you were is little brother ?” asked Hana

Tsuna wondered why even the normal looking people he met were weird. Another one using animal metaphors ? Then he imagined a meeting between her and Hibari, thought about their personalities, and promptly decided to avoid it happened at all cost. 

“You’re… not far from the truth. I mean, he challenged my… boss ? Kinda ? Hibari-san. And he saw me. And petted my hair and adopted me.” 

Ryohei could be pretty predictable, yes. Or did he “adopt” someone else before him ? 

“Really ? Isn’t Hibari-san that scary boy who comes hit you if you don’t go to bed or don’t eat your vegetables ?” said Kyoko, before being lightly pushed by Hana, who laughed.

“You’re confusing him with the bogeyman ? Where did you heard that ?”

“Well, everyone is scared of him, particularly the young persons, but I never saw him. I though he was just an Urbain legend, you know. I guess I’m wrong then ?” pouted Kyoko, blushing a bit, embarrassed. 

(She wasn’t as wrong as she thought. Hibari did haunt the nightmares of the rule-breakers, children and adults. Some even believed he wasn’t totally human, or that he would arrive if you said his name out loud. A rumor affirmed that he was secretly a vampire, which explained his catchphrase, his incredible strength and skills, and why his metaphors compared normal people with livestock. That there was no evidence, no one bitten literally didn’t stop them.)

“Oh, we’re going to see him one day, trust me. From what I know, he’s two years older than us, in the Nanimori Middle School. So we’ll be in the same school for a year. And don’t try to seek him out voluntarily ! He’s a scarily strong monkey and I don’t trust him one bit.” told her Hana, looking pointedly in her eyes.

“Hey ! Hibari-san is not that bad ! Well, he’ll beat you to death if you break his laws, or crowd, or if he doesn’t like you… Forget I said anything.” said Tsuna, trying to defend his… friend ? Boss ? But failing miserably. He also made a mental note to do anything to avoid Kyoko getting bitten to death, because it would end in an epic beat-down between him and her brother, with certain severe injuries to both. Challenges and “spars” should be fine but he didn’t want them to go at it seriously.

“How did you met them anyway ? You’re in our class, you have no reason to see them.” asked Hana, suspicious.

“Uhh, it’s a bit complicated, but I ended up being his sorta secretary ? And one day Big Brother came to challenge him, but there was a misunderstanding, Hibari-san got annoyed and Ryohei lost. But I patched him up and he walked me home, and now we’re friends.” answered Tsuna, awkward. It wasn’t exactly normal. (Then again, who was in this town ?)

“A secretary ? That’s great ! What does it entail ?” asked Kyoko, apparently ignoring the rest of his answer. Or maybe she was just used to it. Ryohei did love to fight, and the stronger the opponent, the better.

“Mostly paperwork, to tell the truth. But the Committee is kind to me, and some help me with my homework, so it’s no bad. And I’m useful for once.” 

They continued talking until Ryohei came back, and then they played board game for some time (to Extremely bond !). It wasn’t peaceful (not with Ryohei’s shouting and Hana’s sarcasm and competitiveness), but it was fun. 

Finally, it was time to go to the pool, and they all went, still chatting about this and that, relaxed. 

There was a lot of people, but it wasn’t unbearable. Girls and boys alike eyed the impressive (for his age) muscles that Ryohei had. He himself got to confirm that Tsuna was probably stronger than he looked, even if his muscles, more for speed than strength were less noticeable. (It made him want to spar to see if he was good at fighting.)

They went home after a few hours, and Tsuna was ultimately invited to dine, and sleep at their house. Their parents were fine with it, and Hana was staying too. When he called her to ask, Nana was perfectly happy to give her permission. He had to borrow a shirt from the older boy (and it was hilariously too big, always falling off one of his shoulders), talking, playing video games or reading mangas (a lot were about sports, how surprising !) before finally going to sleep. 

It hadn’t been planned, so Hana had the spare futon, and Tsuna ended up laying in Ryohei’s bed (who had fallen asleep as soon as the light was turned off). It wasn’t bad, far from it. The older boy had latched on him as one would do with a plushy and he was warm. The steady rhythm of his breath soon lulled Tsuna to sleep, who was feeling oddly safe, protected. 

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

He had a week of true holidays, often spending the day with the white haired boy, thank to how close they lived. As a result, he had the occasion to talk to Kyoko a lot (when at school people usually tried to keep him as far to her as they could, because she was the idol of the class) and they became friends. Hana was occasionally there, but they didn’t get along that well. She seemed to tolerate him at least. 

The only notable break in their routine was unsurprisingly the weekly spar with Hibari. It was scheduled in the afternoon as usual, but this time Ryohei came too. He had been at Tsuna’s for the meal and had followed him, ignoring the protests of the younger boy. The girls were enjoying their monthly cake day.

Tsuna usually wanted to keep his fighting abilities a secret, but he figured that letting Ryohei know wouldn’t be so bad. They had been friends for some time already, and that probably wouldn’t change. The boxer was loud, but very loyal and could keep a secret. He respected most personal boundaries and always made his best to protect the well-being of those he cared for. 

He would probably ask for a spar too, but it didn’t scare Tsuna as much as before. It would be entirely frontal, hand-on-hand, but thanks to his “training” with Kyoya, this prospect wasn’t as intimidating as before. (Everything seem less intimidating compared to a full fight with the Demon Perfect Hibari Kyoya, a sentiment shared by everyone, not just Tsuna.)

They arrived at the abandoned park, already in workout clothes (the boxer too, even if he didn’t know what was going to happen. Firstly because he saw Tsuna changing in those, secondly because outside of class, where uniform was mandatory, he was pretty much always in sport clothes, ready to exercise or box at any moment.)

At 15:00 on the dot, Hibari appeared. Still in uniform, the lighter summer version, vest on the shoulders. It was probably hot, but the boy tended to favor pride over comfort when it came to his gakuran. He jumped from the roof of the crumbling restaurant (did he just climb in order to make a grand entrance ? He liked to be dramatic like that some times, often jumping out of windows instead of going by the door.) and landed lightly on his feet like a feline, in front of the two boys.

“Shrike, why is the boxing herbivore here ?” he asked. Tsuna had earned a new nickname since Hibari had seen him use his knitting needles to fight. The shrike was a little bird, but one who hunted and impaled on the nearest thorn or barbed wire his prey. The whole impalement thing reminded him of Tsuna’s way of fighting, so it worked and it stuck. Tsuna didn’t mind, there was worse things to be called, and when he searched what they were after hearing it the first time he found it fitting.

“Hello Hibari-san. He followed me here.”

“Hn, he better not interrupt or I’ll bite him to death.” 

“Interrupt what ?” said Ryohei, unsure of what was going on. 

“The Shrike and I are going to spar, as usual. Do not crowd, or make a sound.” he demanded.

With those words, Hibari jumped on the offensive, rushing toward Tsuna. The younger boy, having predicted the action, had distanced himself from Ryohei and planted his feet firmly on the ground to meet him head on. His needles in hand, he blocked the first strike and dodged the second one, attempting to kick his opponent at the same time, only to fail. 

“That’s an Extreme spar ! You better be careful not hurt Tsuna too much Hibari-san !” commented Ryohei on the side. He was leaning toward them, as if to see better, but clearly restricted himself from interacting with the fight. He settled on cheering Tsuna (who needed it more than Hibari anyway).

The spar continued on this fashion, Tsuna mostly dodging and redirecting Hibari’s strikes, relying on his speed and agility rather than his strength and barely managing to return some hits from time to time. He stuck the Prefect trice with the needles, never in important areas (partly because Hibari avoided it and partly because Tsuna didn’t want to use assassination techniques, even if they had little to no chance to hit their mark.) He in turn got more than a few bruises, and ended on the ground at the end, rubbing tearfully his aching head. Hibari most likely didn’t use all his strength (or they wouldn’t be able to spar weekly, to let injuries heal), but it was still painful to be hit, particularly in the tender areas.

Seeing it had ended, Ryohei rushed at his side, to check on him while talking excitingly. Inquires about his health, congratulations, comments on his personal moves… Like,

“The needles are Extremely original but effective ! What kind of martial arts do you base yourself on ?” 

And the inevitable, 

“I challenge you to a spar Little Bro ! Hand-on-hand, and you don’t have to box but no needles !”

He nodded, but he was too tired to get up at the moment. Ryohei, pumped up from the show, challenged Hibari (who was surprisingly still here, on the sidelines but he hadn’t left). The black haired boy had a monstrous stamina (as did Ryohei by the way) and could go on for quite some rounds more. He agreed with bared teeth in a predatory parody of a smile, and Tsuna got once again the sight of the boxer being mercilessly defeated. Not that it wiped the happy grin on Ryohei face, he had apparently missed boxing in the short week without club.

As Tsuna wasn’t able to do anything but limp home, they had to postpone the asked spar for after his leave to his Aunt house. They would see each other again during the last week of the holidays and would do it then. (Tsuna would indubitably be stronger then, as he always was after more than a month staying at his Aunt’s home and training in whatever she wished to teach him then.) 

The next day, Sunday would be used to recover, pack his things the morning and once arrived in the afternoon, for his mother and her aunt to catch up and talk happily of diverse things.

He went early to bed that night after unpacking in the room that had been his for years, exhausted by the travel and excitement, aching all over from the bruises caused by Hibari’s merciless hits. He may heal faster than most for some unknown reason, but it wasn’t perfect or instantaneous. 

Comfortably snuggled under the blue blanket that smelled of flowers, probably freshly washed, he slept. His night was dreamless and come the morning he felt way better. He was woken at eight by his habitual alarm and went to the kitchen for breakfast. It was simple, traditional but good as always. 

When he finally cleared the sleep from his eyes and finished his drink, he lifted his head and met his aunt’s eyes. She was looking straight at him with an air he knew too well. 

Apparently she had plans for the holidays and for his training, which would probably teach him a lot and make him stronger, but wouldn’t always be fun… for him. If she didn’t keep a serious facade, she would have laughed at his discomfited expression. 

Naomi knew that she wouldn’t be able to mentor Tsuna in a few years. She had aged well but was older than she looked. Not that she was dying or anything, she could easily live a decade more or so, but her reflexes had started to slow, her vision to drop. It wouldn’t stop her now, or in three years, but if she wanted to teach him all (or almost) she knew, she would have to speed up things a little. (And give him more “homework” during the school year. The Hibari boy was a good start, and the boxer he talked her about interesting. That they helped him in the areas he had problems, direct and frontal combat, was a nice bonus.)

“Alright boy ! Today I’m going to show you how to “spice up” nicely and discreetly the meal of your target !” 

“Yes ma’am !” he said, with a parody of a military salute.

“Fist, fetch me the familial herbarium. We’ll talk about chemicals this afternoon. Well ? What are you waiting for ? We’ll review the herbal remedies while we’re at it.”

He sprinted toward the bookcase in the living room. 

“Time to see if you’ve forgotten the basics. Tell me about… aconite. And no peeking !”

“No Aunty !” 

The Summer Holiday Training Session had started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the time it took me to post. the next chapter should be more eventful and funnier. I had a lot ideas for the "holiday mini-arc", so in the end I made a smaller chapter, or you would've had to wait longer. It's longer than the previous ones anyway. 
> 
> As alway, don't hesitate to tell me if there is spelling mistakes. Thank you for your kudos and comments, I love them all ! I'm happy you like the way I write the characters.
> 
> A-F


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsunayo- er, Tsubaki walks around town. Fun ! Less fun !

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone ! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you for reading, following,and kudos, bookmarks and comments ! They always make my so happy !
> 
> /!\ Some violence, not too described. And suspicions of abuse (but wrong, it's the Hibari training).
> 
> I did [ART](https://ambroise-framboise.tumblr.com/post/183218314920/here-is-tsuna-dressed-as-tsubaki-for-the-4th) for this chapter ! Come see the lovely Tsuna, in this chapter's clothing ; https://ambroise-framboise.tumblr.com/post/183218314920/here-is-tsuna-dressed-as-tsubaki-for-the-4th (in case the link doesn't work)
> 
> A-F

Tsuna was lost, in the middle of an unknown street, dressed in girl clothes, with his hair styled down and a touch of makeup. 

How had he ended like this ? 

Rewind a bit, to the beginning of the training session. 

His aunt had apparently planned a busy program, one that would use previous lessons to turn them deadly, or deadlier. He had previously learned how to cook, to use knives ? She taught him poisons and how to administer them. Knitting himself the parts of a jumper and sewing them together ? He now had explanations on how to make other clothes, for boy or girl, easily, quickly, and with what he had if there was limited resources. It included the making of secret pockets to hide diverse weapons, undetectable to the sight. 

Somehow, the sewing had led to experimentation with wires, sharp and deadly, and traps where you use them. Tsuna wasn’t very good with them yet, but it was totally new so it was to be expected. 

The days passed by, and two spars took place in their usual spot. Ryohei wasn’t there, he had apparently organized a training camp for the boxing club, and they were busy. The meeting between Hibari and his aunt was pretty much what he had imagined : 

“So you’re the Hibari boy ? It shows, your family has always been strong. I was here when they first came and founded the local branch.” said Naomi, arms crossed. 

“Hn, you’re the Shrike’s mentor. Fight me.” 

“Maybe later, brat. Don’t you have a spar right now ?” she commented, casually batting away the tonfa that was speeding toward her. 

He shot a last glare at her and jumped on the poor Tsuna, who had been observing the conversation from afar. After that, it went as it usually did, the only difference being the commands, advices and insults hurled at him by his relative. She had spent the beginning watching the fighting style of the Perfect, and with her help, Tsuna managed to last longer than usual. He still lost, but had hit the older boy more.

They went home after that, and he soldiered during grueling exercises the next days, because “His stamina was crap, and he should have worked on it more”. 

And then one day, a few days after his aunt witnessed his embarrassing loss at the hands of Hibari, she suddenly gave him girls clothes a morning. Once he was dressed (cute overalls, pastel tee-shirt, sandals and braided hair), she sat him in the car and drove him to a different part of the city. Then, she booted him off his seat and cheerfully said ;

“Your name is now Sarada Tsubaki. Come back home before dinner !” 

She waved and left before he could say anything. 

“But… I don’t have money or a phone on me… Or any idea where I am.” 

That was probably the point. 

Now, how to get home, without getting the police called, or being sold to human traffickers (Tsuna had a an active imagination, an habit of exaggerating and of being negative so he really thought of this situation. Then again, with his life, and his luck, it might really happen one day.) 

He could simply find a map, and walk home, but they had passed some areas dangerous when alone, particularly for girls. Or he could try to get some money, and find a bus or a train. What to do, what to do… 

He understood it was a good way for him to work on acting as a different person, as a girl in a place he was not familiar with, but she could at least have warned him a bit before ! It was the first time he went out while crossdressing, and it was very different than doing it in the safety of his house ! 

She only gave him a name, not a personality or a background. He would have to improvise and to be convincing. He was bad at lying. It was in insight obvious why she did it, but understanding didn’t make him happier. 

Well, no time for tears, he had to start to move now if he wanted to make it before night. He was quite far from home. 

The easiest way to find a map would be the subway, or a train station, but he hadn’t seen any tracks. When he asked to a passerby, he learned that there as an entry to the underground near. He didn’t recognize the name, but it wasn’t surprising. He almost never took it, and the few times he did, it was always for the same route. 

Once there, he examined the map, cursing when he realized that while he could more or less picture in what part of the city he was in, there was no direct way to go back. It was without doubts intentional from his aunt, but knowing that didn’t stop him. The only good thing was that he had found a path that would take him near Namimori Middle, and from there he would be able to find clues, making it easier. 

It made him nervous. On one hand, it would help a lot, on the other hand, he could potentially be recognized by someone he knew, destroying at the same time his (already bad) reputation. 

One more reason to be good at acting ! 

Thankful he had comfortable shoes to walk in, he made his way toward his neighborhood, dread pooling in his stomach. 

Stomach that started grumbling. 

He hadn’t eaten before leaving, and his body made it know. Already some people were looking at him, some surprised, other amused by the sounds made by his guts. 

He didn’t turn or look at them in the eyes, and continued walking. The sun was shining brightly and he wished he had a hat, maybe sunglasses too. At least, the warmth was pleasant, he didn’t have to burrow in lawers of clothes to be out. Lost in his thoughts as he was, he ended up colliding with someone rushing from a side-street. Tsuna fell on the ground, and looked up to the culprit. 

At first, he couldn’t see them well, they had their back to the sun and their figure was shrouded in shadows. Tall, short hair, a boy around his age. He was presenting him his hand, to help Tsuna getting up. His grip was strong and he lifted him up as if his weight was nothing. Finally, he got a good look at the other face. 

And started immediately panicking interiorly. 

That boy was the baseball star of the school, Yamamoto Takeshi ! Not in his class, thank the gods, but he had probably heard about or saw “Dame-Tsuna” before. He prayed that Yamamoto didn’t recognize him and stayed unaware of his identity. He didn’t seem the type to mock people, but he might not keep it a secret if he knew. 

“Sorry Miss ! Are you alright ?” 

He apparently didn’t notice. Now, to keep it that way… He took a voice higher than his own, but too much so it sounded natural and answered. 

“No, don’t worry, thank you.” 

He thought it would be then end of it, letting him continue his way, but he was interrupted before he could move. 

“Wait, no, you’re injured !” 

He was indeed, the pain of his hands and elbows only now registering. He must have scraped his skin while falling. It wasn’t that painful, really, but it should probably be disinfected. 

But that didn’t stop him letting tears come to his eyes and hunching a bit on himself, uttering a soft “oww”. 

Shaking his head when asked if he lived near (a lie, his mom’s house was not far, but he couldn’t go there) he was grabbed by the upper arm and pulled onward. 

“Wha-what are you doing ?” 

“You’re alone, right ? I live at five minutes from here, my dad can take care of your wounds. He’s great, he owns a sushi shop. He will patch you up !” 

“It’s alright, you don’t need to, really !” said Tsuna, following him still. 

(He was becoming used to being dragged around by strange boys, and wasn’t it a bit scary ?) 

“No, no, I insist !” Tsuna’s stomach growled. “Hungry ? I can ask my dad to fix you a plate of sushi, as an apology. Free !” 

Tsuna caved, and didn’t struggle. He took his arm back and sighed, but made no moves to leave. At least he wouldn’t have to worry for finding food. Yamamoto was smiling as usual, talking about the baseball match he was playing before they collided, laughing lightly every so often. He was making most of the conversation, Tsuna just nodding occasionally. 

Suddenly, he stopped and tried to take a better look at Tsuna, who ducked his head, as if feeling shy. Yamamoto eyes’ had a sharper look than before, were more attentive. 

“Say Miss, what’s your name ? I’m Yamamoto Takeshi.” 

“I’m Sarada Tsubaki, nice to meet you Yamamoto-san.” he bowed slightly. 

“You know, you look kinda familiar. You’re from here ?” 

“No, I’m just visiting my aunt. I was taking a walk, and I got lost. Now I’m trying to go back home.” 

“Really ? Do you need help ? I was born here so I know the surroundings well.” 

“You would ? I mean, I don’t want to be a burden or anything, you know...” 

“Of course ! As if I would let a lady in need alone if I can help ; I’m a true gentleman.” His joking tone was back, and he winked, laughing once more. 

They continued on their path, and soon arrived to a restaurant, the front decorated with its name : “TakeSushi”. The door was open, and as it was midday you could hear the conversations of the regulars. 

“Welcome! Ah, Takeshi, did your game went well ? Oh, and who is this lovely girl, a girlfriend ?” asked the man behind the counter, who was making sushis and looked quite like Yamamoto.

Right. So things could get more awkward. He felt his face warming, and guessed he was now blushing quite heavily. He fidgeted a bit, findling with the seams of his shirt (a white one, with blue embroidery of flowers). 

“No, no ! We just met ! I wasn’t looking where I was going and crashed into her. Can you give her a plate of sushi as an apology ? I’m going upstair for the first-aid box, she got pretty scratched up.” Explained Yamamoto, quite embarrassed too. He was rubbing his neck nervously as he spoke, cheeks a bit red.

“Alright, alright.” smiled the older man at his son.

Yamamoto guided Tsuna to a stool and pulled it for him before making his way to the backroom where the stairs to their home probably were. The owner of the shop went back to complete his orders, but quickly came back to the disguised boy, starting a conversation after passing Tsuna a plate full of appetizing sushis.

“Hello, I’m Yamamoto Tsuyoshi. Really, I apologize for my son’s clumsiness, he sometimes forget to pay attention to his surroundings.” Started the sushi chef, still cutting fish.

“No, no, there’s no need ! It was my fault too, I didn’t see him arrive. He’s just heavier than me so I’m the one who fell.” tried to explain Tsuna, his hands moving around frantically to somehow convey his feelings.

God, this encounter was stressing him too much, he was afraid something would betray who he truly was. (He had some troubles keeping his voice’s pitch consistent, and the only reason his acting wasn’t bad was because he mostly used his own personality as a base, his shyness and meekness were just less frowned upon.) 

“Mmmm, if you say so.” hummed the chef. He raised his head, and looked directly in the eyes of the disguised boy. “Say, you’re not the kind of person to cause problems right ?” His smile was kind, but sharp like the knife he was using.

“No-no, I’m not, why-why would you think that ?” he stammered, panicked. Was he found out ?

“Oh, I just had to check, Namimori can attract some pretty… colorful people. So I keep an eye open to make sure no one mess with my son. Now eat, it’s fresh sushi, and I can hear your stomach growl.” And with those words, he grabbed a plate and a drink and went serving another customer. 

Tsuna felt as if he dodged a bullet…(or a sword, whispered the little voice in his head.) He eyed the impressive collection of knives behind the counter, and found himself thinking that he might have found someone alike to his mother. 

Maybe they would become friends if they met ? Kind, but scarily protective of their children, with a skill at knife handling and a love for making food. His mother didn’t have many, and he didn’t want her to be too lonely. 

Though he would have to avoid the restaurant for some time, he had a feeling that he would get recognised if he went as Tsuna. He had been lucky that his mother prefered to make their meals herself, rather than order take out or go eat outside.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he looked at his full and appetizing plate of sushi, and took one, plopping it in his mouth. His eyes widened slightly ; it was delicious ! Tsuna might have looked a bit ridiculous, the sushis were big and stuffed his cheeks like a hamster, but right now he didn’t care, too busy enjoying his meal.

He hummed happily, more relaxed now that the owner was occupied away from him, and kicked his legs back and forth, perched on the high stool. He had finished them maybe a little too quickly, but they were so good he hadn’t been able to help it.

Wiping his hands and taking a large gulp of water, he sighed contently. The sound of approaching footsteps made him raise his head. Yamamoto the son was back, with a big first-aid kit. 

“I hope you didn’t have to wait for too long ! Did you enjoy the sushi ? My dad is the best isn’t he ?” he grinned, lifting the kit in his hand to show it.

“It was delicious, thank you ! Are you sure I don’t need to pay ? I don’t want to be a bother.” Tentatively smiled back Tsuna, tilting his head as he asked the other boy a confirmation. (It was more to be polite. He really hoped it would stay free. He had no money after all.)

“Maa, maa, don’t worry ! It’s not a plate that will make us go bankrupt. Now, can you give me your arm please ? I’ve got the disinfectant, and band-aids. I don’t think you need more, but tell me if it hurt alright ?” Answered the baseball player, (he probably had a lot of experience patching up little injuries, as sport practitioners often did) who then took Tsuna offered arm. 

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes at the greenish bruises that were still present, littering his arms, not totally healed from his last encounter with Hibari. His smile, ever present was a bit more crisped.

“Say, you’re not being hurt by someone are you ? Because we can help if it’s the case. I’m pretty good with a baseball bat you know.” He continued, while carefully wiping the scrapes and methodically covering them with band-aids. Tsuna absentmindedly noted that they were quite cute, colorful and shaped like small dinosaurs. He was trying not to think about what Yamamoto had assumed, and offered. 

Why did he always meet the most violent ones ? And why did it have to be the nice ones ? Well, at least Yamamoto didn’t know that it was Tsuna. 

He also blatantly made no remarks at the bruise cream he had been handed, but still used it. 

“Don’t worry, Yamamoto-kun, it’s nothing.” They were both done, and the medical stuff back in his box. “I am just…” But his sentence was interrupted by a violent sound and shouting. 

“EVERYBODY HOLD UP ! THIS IS A ROBBERY !” 

Tsuna slowly closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. 

Why ? Just… Why ?

Did the universe hate him ? Had he done something bad in a past life ? (Created the biggest mafia in Italy, murmured the little voice in his head, that he didn’t hear thank you very much.)

Was there a “Worst Luck” award ? Because he felt like he should get one. 

He opened them, and took in his surroundings. Four men, all armed with guns. Their faces were hidden, and they had sunglasses. 

At least, they didn’t look like the stereotypical mafiosi in suits that went after his mother and him. His identity hadn’t been found out. Two of them, a bit behind the one who had talked (the leader probably), seemed a bit nervous. Might not be professionals then. 

Yamamoto’s father was not at the counter, but near a table, an empty plate in hand. There were less than a dozen customers in the room, and they had wisely ducked under the tables or held their hands in the air at the command. 

There was a moment of stillness, and the sushi owner slowly raised his arms, waiting for the criminals to continue talking. Tsuna noted that he was looking tense, but not too scared. 

Tsuna and Yamamoto were the only ones at the counter and the nearest to the register (to what the men wanted). 

Tsuna took advantage of the men’s distraction (they were turned toward the owner, not “defenceless” kids, understandably) to move slightly, slowly, and grab a few things near enough. 

The heavy kit (made of metal). Empty plates. Three knives. The baseball bat propped on the other boy’s seat. (This one he handed it to him behind his back, after nudging Yamamoto).

He placed them in a way that left them out of sight of the men, but close enough for an immediate utilisation if needed.

Chopsticks. (He kept them in hand. Funny how similar those ustensiles were to knitting needles.)

The first man, dubbed Leader, advanced toward Tsuyoshi, gun raised.

“Hey you ! You’re the owner, right ? How about you stay there like a good boy while my friends grab the content of your register ? A restaurant popular like your, it should be full, no?”

The one behind him, now named Right-hand, followed his boss for a few steps, but stayed a bit farther, still facing the chef and ready to aim at him.

“Get the cash you two !” barked the Leader to the others criminals, the nervous ones. They had lowered their guns, and were standing a bit a bit awkwardly at the (closed) door. 

They startled, and nodded before going, marching toward the counter (and Yamamoto and Tsuna).

Tsuna was watching them warily. He didn’t want to act and revel his abilities. If they were lucky, the whole thing would be resolved peacefully, and while the criminal would have taken the money, they’d get caught by the Hibari (or the police, though it’d be less likely), and the Yamamoto would get their money back. 

His resolve changed quite quickly. Screw peacefully, they were going down.

In fact, you could almost hear it snap the moment one of the two henchmen charged to take the register backhanded Takeshi because he was “in the way”. It’s not like he was the only one. The face of his father showed that he was a second away from literally destroying the criminals, their guns be damned (even more when the Leader let out a nasty laugh at the action). 

Tsuna reacted instantly. He grabbed one of the knives he had hidden behind him, and threw it to the chef, (making sure it would arrive handle first, and with so height, not directly to let him catch it easily, thankful that knife handling and throwing had been one of his first weapon lessons).

He didn’t have the time to check what was happening between the owner and the two other men, his attention fully on the ones next to him. A quick glance to the side let him know that Takeshi hadn’t moved yet.

“Yamamoto-kun ! The bat !” he shouted, while grabbing the plate next to him and smashing it in the face of the nearest man. It stunned him for a few precious seconds, and left cuts all over his upper body. Tsuna took advantage of that and forcefully pried the gun from his slack fingers (there might have been a few cracks of broken bones, but it’s not like he didn’t deserve it).

Thankfully, it was enough to shake the boy from his shock, and get him moving. With a violence and a speed impressive for someone his age (even if he was already quite tall), he swung his wooden weapon and, following Tsuna’s exemple, and batted away the arm wielding a gun. Without a pause, he reversed the direction of the swing and came back for a direct hit to the head, making the man drop to the ground. 

Tsuna, while this was happening, took the opportunity presented when his adversary grabbed the counter to stabilize himself. Using the chopsticks he had kept in his left hand, he flung his arm and impaled the appendage in the middle of its back. While not able to pin it to the counter like a butterfly in a collection (the chopsticks weren’t sharp or hard enough to penetrate the wood of the counter), it severely crippled the henchman. 

Leaving him wide open for a strong kick between the legs. And when it made him drop, a blow to the head with the heavy metal kit. 

The two men were down. And wouldn’t get up soon with any luck. The two boys looked at each other, when the sounds of the rest of the restaurant reached them. In all, their fight hadn’t lasted long at all. Maybe not even three minutes. They both swiveled their head toward the last place they had seen Yamamoto the father at the sound of a loud crash. 

Who, Tsuna wasn’t even surprised, was also finished. 

(Really, what was up with Namimori for students and apparently civilians parents to be so proficient at fighting (/killing) ? )

If he wasn’t wrong and had read the scene correctly, the Leader had gotten a knife to the gut. And a punch or two to the face. The Right-hand man was sprawled on the ground, half buried under an upside down table. 

Hum. Had he really been knocked out by a table flip to the face ? And how strong was Yamamoto’s father ? That was a solid six places wood table. So heavy you’d think they were bolted to the ground. 

(I was lucky that there had been no customers hiding under it, contrary to some other tables.)

The chef, who had been staring at the (downed) criminals, turned when he heard the wavering voice of his son. 

“Dad ?”

(Tsuna, who had forgotten that normal people weren’t used to see violence as he was, or knew to pretend they weren’t affected, let himself shake and cry a little. It would have worked, probably, if he hadn’t been the one to pass the knife to the chef, and had gotten rid of a grown man all by himself.)

The man’s eyes went back to a light brown (when had they gotten so blue ?), and he took four long strides, stepping over the mess, to get to his son. 

Not stopping when the teen flinched, but let the baseball bat (whom he he had been keeping in a death grip) fall, he gathered his son in his arm, and squeezed him near his heart in a warm hug. 

They stayed there for some time, the older man gently rubbing his boy’s back, and whispering comforting things in his ear. 

Tsuna stood a few steps away, feeling awkward but not knowing what to do, afraid to intrude. He fiddled with his hands, carefully removing a few shards of glass he hadn’t noticed with the adrenaline and who were starting to sting. 

A bit distractedly, he noted that it was pretty handy that he was still holding the medical kit. He plopped it on the counter, away from the blood splatters, and opened it. Taking the same supplies he had used not even ten minutes ago (and how come did it feel like hours instead ?) he started to carefully treat his wounds. 

Reaching over the counter, he grabbed some ice (used to keep the fishes cold and fresh) and towels, turning it into a makeshift cold pack for Yamamoto’s reddening cheek. 

He shuffled closer to them, and passed it to the father without a word. 

Then, still without a noise (the restaurant was surreally silent), he went to the other customers, forgotten in the action to see if they were injured. They had been staying quiet but were starting to get out from under the tables. They started to chat with each other, and outside, the sound of a police siren was starting to be heard.

He went toward the Leader, checking if the man was still alive. There was a growing puddle of blood staining the floor, and now the sole of his sandals. Crouching to see better, Tsuna put his fingers on the side of his neck, and was relieved when he felt a weak but present pulse. With some nearby napkins, he tried to staunch the flow, making sure not to remove the knife that had stayed where it was when the man fell backward. 

“Can you call an ambulance please, and put pressure on the wound ? He’s still alive but bleeding fast.The other robbers are injured too.” He said softly, to the nearest customer. He had been careful not to touch the criminal’s blood, particularly with his injured hands. 

Standing back up, he nodded to the one who had gotten his phone out, and moved to let another take his place, and try to keep the man from dying until the medics came. 

Going to the counter again, he took some more towels, and passed them to the customers he had been talking to. 

Then, finally he went to the door, and opened it. 

Yamamoto’s father, at the sound, raised his head, still embracing his son (who was buried in his chest, not seeing anything). And nodded, once.

An acknowledgement. A thank you. 

And Tsuna left, taking advantage of the general state of shock and confused atmosphere of the restaurant. He was grateful that the police wasn’t there yet (though they would be soon, he could hear them). 

Sarada Tsubaki didn’t exist after all. 

Without the money for a ride, or a phone to tell his Aunt about what happened, he just walked home. It took him an hour and a half, and they passed in a kind of a daze. 

Tsunayoshi was used to violence. To be attacked unexpectedly. 

To blood and injuries, and pain and tears.

Tsuna was training to be strong.

Tsuna was already strong in many ways.

But Tsuna was still only eleven years old. 

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

That night, he slept in the bed of his great-aunt, after having cried in her arms for a long time, and had to be shaken out of the cruel darkness of his nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, sorry for the wait, I had the worst case of writter block on this chapter, and was stuck half-way for months.
> 
> Tsuna : "Ok, stay calm, don't provoke them and it'll end peacefully.  
> Tsuna, 30s later ; "Screw calm" (grabs nearest object and use it as a weapon)
> 
> Tsuna ; "Oh, why do I always attract the most violent ?"  
> Tsuna ; Can and will fight you if he has too. Think he's the reasonable one. Isn't.
> 
>  
> 
> As for the end ; a bit angsty (and violent), more than my usual cracky tone. Because it's an issue that needed to be adressed, and won't be resolved immediately. You may say that it wans't as bad as the (implied) regular assassination attempts (which were treated rather lightly), but still. 
> 
> Till next time ! (which, I hope, is not next year lol)

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hello on my tumblr ; [Ambroise-Framboise](https://ambroise-framboise.tumblr.com/) !  
> 


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